A Forest For The Dead
by TheLadyInBlackAndGreen
Summary: Cato, Clove, Marvel and Glimmer all know each other before The Hunger Games, all feel differently about the other, all want to win no matter what the cost. But they make a plan anyways, a plan to win even if only one can indeed win. Clato if anything. Not actually Clove/Marvel love.o it


We are all standing in a line like we always did the day before the reaping. We stand listening to the same speech about how it is an honor to be chosen and if someone was indeed chosen, it was a crime to take it away by volunteering. You volunteer before someone is chosen, that was the rule and everyone stuck by it. I roll my eyes and glance over at my only friend in the whole academy. He was tall, skinny as a pole with brown hair and brown eyes. He rarely ever had a straight face except for when he was in the kill zone, and then he was all anger and frustration like the rest of us. He had a name like his personality, Marvel or Marvelous as I like to call him. The only problem was he was volunteering this year, and I was thinking about doing the same. I had finally decided against it because who would want to kill their best friend? Marvel was the closest thing I had to an actual family member, I mean of course I had a mom and dad but they didn't exactly treat me like family. I never really understood why. Marvel is from district one, so he lives close to district two. I see him everyday at the academy, but this will be the last time because when he comes back from the hunger games-which he will- he won't train with us anymore. Then next year I'll volunteer and I'll win. Marvel is eyeing a tall, skinny girl named Glimmer who did indeed shine. She was making eyes at the boy next to me, my neighbor, Cato. Being my neighbor was as far as our relationship went beyond the point that we were both the top of our class fighting each other to win. He was staring back at her like she was a piece of meat. I roll my eyes again fingering one of my small knives. I could throw it at the lady talking and we could all leave and go home. I'm nearly the shortest one in the whole academy but everyone knows not to mess with me, I have knives, Marvel has spears, Cato has a sword and Glimmer, well she has her flirty eyes. We were the top. When the lady finally shuts her mouth I gather up my backpack which was full of more weapons and slam jokingly into Marvel who nearly looses his balance and grabs my shoulder to pull himself back up. I may be only fifteen but I am like a rock, or so says my trainer.

'So, your parents making dinner?" I ask him smiling. He mumbles something under his breath and shoots me a dark look; I understand the signal and invite him to dinner. After we finish our mile jog back to my house I unlock the door and throw my backpack to the side, as I suspect no one is home.

"So, dinner…is already fixed?" Marvel says, running around and glancing in each room. He should be use to no one being home but clearly he is not, his mother and father are always home almost never leave. If my parents stayed home all the time I would go insane too. "Clearly not."

"Oh come on, Marvelous." I say with a hint of disgust in my voice, like he expects someone to be here. My large fuzzy wolf dog comes bounding towards us and I feed him. Marvel throws me a fake shocked look but follows me into the kitchen. I open the fridge pull out some bloody meat and start chopping it. He sits himself down on the bar in front of me, his hands clasped together touching his nose like they always were. He was looking at me so intensely I think he was trying to make me evaporate into thin air. "What?"

"You fixing dinner? It's just weird, Clove." I roll my eyes sliding through the next piece of meat so hard I nearly chop of my fingers. I graze them, meaning I can almost see my bone, I drop the knife, it drops onto the package of bleeding meat and it slides of the table, smacking with a sick thud on the ground. Blood is suddenly gushing everywhere, the meat's blood shoots up from the force going all over the kitchen floor. I glance up at where Marvel is spinning around in his chair like an idiot, I look around quickly. I can not get blood on any of the rags, towels, clothes or on the floor. Oh wait, too late for that.

"Um, Marvel." I say trying to keep my voice under control. It's not the first time I've got myself deeply, but it's the first time I've done it at home where my parents could walk in any second. Then I would get a never ending lecture about how irresponsible I am and such. Marvel stops and looks at me then starts hyperventilating, he's never been good under stress, and the blood is now dripping through my fingers and landing on my blue shirt and black pants. I run to the sink, turning on the hot water and letting it flow over my hands. Marvel is still running around like a chicken with his head chopped off. "Marvel!" I yell, he freezes and rushes over to me.

"What do I do?" he asks me, his eyes flickering everywhere, his hands pushing through his hair.

I grit my teeth, "Find something in my room that I can wipe my hands off with!"

"Why can't you just use a-"

"GO!" I screech. He nods then runs, his long legs carrying him faster than I could've gone. He returns shortly, sliding on the blood on the floor. He stops himself before he hits the next giant puddle; he's still half way across the kitchen. I walk slowly to him, not even bothering to turn off the sink, then my foot shoots in front of me and I screech like a little girl.

"Whoa!" Marvel yells, reaching out for me, I slam into him and he falls backwards from the force, we land in the hall just as the front door opens. "Got you!' he whispers then his smile leaves his face and it turns soar. I glare at him but follow his gaze to where nine figures stand in our doorway, two rush forwards and I recognize them as my mom and dad. And I am suddenly aware of all the blood on the kitchen floor, the rushing water of the sink, the bra in Marvel's hands and oh yea, me on top of Marvel. He pushes me off of him and we both stand, jerking our right hands behind our backs.

"Evening Mr. and Mrs. Clove's parents." He says, sending them one of his winning smiles. They still both glare at both of us. My mother gasps in horror at our kitchen, not that she goes in it anyways.

"What the hell is going on here!" my father roars. I open my mouth trying to think of an excuse, I look at Marvel who shakes his head, his mouth open as well.

"I was cooking dinner, I didn't know you were going to be home and bringing-" I look around them where the other silloute stand, motionless, "Guests."

"I suggest you go clean yourselves up and then come down, we are having dinner with two of your classmates." My father snaps.

"Marvel." I say my voice barely over a whisper. "Is staying for dinner too, I promised him." Both of my parents look at me with such hate that I find myself running up the stairs, Marvel stumbling behind me. I'm in the bathroom when I snap,

"What were you thinking?" I yell at him as he shuts the door. I grab the sides of my face, "You brought my bra to clean my bloody hand up with! Where's the logic in that?!" Marvel slowly sets my purple lace bra on the top of the toilet seat,

"I panicked you were bleeding to death!" we both glance over at the bra and he starts laughing. I shake my head and start laughing too which in turn leans to crying, then wailing because I know I'm going to get it when my parents' guests leave. "Hey." He says gently, grabbing some bandages from one of the cabinets- why we didn't think of that before- and wraps my two tip fingers.

"Sorry." I say leaning up against the countertop and wiping my nose. I look down, "Oh gosh I got blood on my clothes." I start wiping my shirt, dabbing at it with water.

"I don't think it comes out that easily." He sighs, resting a hand on the doorknob, "You go change and I'll stall them." He gives a faint smile; he knows what kind of freak monsters my parents are since my elder brother left. I nod, rubbing the side of my face and rushing to my room. I slam the door, taking this time to gasp in all the air that I could. I return fifteen minutes later to the dinner table, sitting down in between Marvel and one of our guest, which so happens to be Cato and Glimmer.

"Cato is going to volunteer this year." Cato's father says proudly as he sets down his fork for the first time. I hold a smile, good, Marvel can kill him and we'll never have to deal with him again.

"Oh and so is Glimmer." Glimmer's must be mother says, or it could be her twin sister. I watch Marvel's face which is full of emotion, I turn to Cato who looks like he could care less, maybe he didn't actually like her.

"So is our Clove." I almost cough up the beef stew we're having but instead I drop my fork which clatters onto my table, letting out an eruption of noise.

"So sorry." I tell them all, trying not to scream as Marvel gives me a look. I shake my head, shrug and he understands. "Must be my nerves, so excited about tomorrow." Everyone smiles and goes back to their parfait and other foods. I have to have some sort of distraction so it looks as though I was too distracted to volunteer. There is no way I'm going to this hunger games. No way.

After the meal I lock myself in my room, my heart still not reaching below 100 miles per hour. When morning finally comes I still have no idea what I'm going to do. My walls are covered in tiny holes from where I've nervously thrown my knives into them. My mother knocks on my door, not in a nice way and screams at me to get up. I yell sarcastically that I was never asleep. I pull up my short cut black dress with black felt roses sewn around the collar. I pull up my leggings then strap up my black high heeled boots that add about three inches to my height onto my legs. I stick a couple knives in my outfit as well, just to make it feel right and then I'm ready and being hussled out to the center of the city where everyone else is gathered. Of course Marvel isn't here but I know he's already volunteered since time is a bit faster in District One. This is what I'm going to do, the heel of my boot is going to break and I'm going to twist my ankle and lean down to fix my shoe. Then suddenly our spokes person, Amm, will ask for volunteers and I'll be too busy fixing my shoe to hear her. I nod to myself, good plan, good plan. I hold out my non injured hand to be pricked and then stand in the center of the crowd of teenage girls like me.

Amm steps up, talking about the honor in volunteering and then asks for a boy volunteer. Cato lunges forwards with such intensity many people shudder around me. He shoves a couple boys aside and steps up, I suppose his very "best" was a pair of worn jeans and a skin tight v-neck. Cato shares his name and steps aside, Amm asks for a woman voluteer, I stomp hard on the ground, pressuring just the breakage point which makes the heel, as I suspect, snap. I pretend to gasp and lean down to fix my shoe, I glance up, no one is paying any attention to me. The time of volunteering is over and I slowly unlace my other shoe, taking my knife and cutting around my leggings to my ankles. My parents are going to be furious but it'll be worth it if I can keep Marvel. Amm sticks her hand in a large looking fishbowl that was full of names, grabs a single slip and pulls it out.

"Clove Hearnes." I freeze as she announces my name, my name, to the crowd. I try to not look too widely around at all the girls who were glaring at me. I want to scream, you can take my place, but I don't. I walk slowly up to the platform and repeat my name in the microphone. I turn to Cato and we shake hands, then we're suddenly ushered into the darkness of the trains and the door is shut firmly behind us. The room is so large that they put both of us in it; Cato just looks at me, his eyes full of curiosity.

"You didn't volunteer." He says in his deep voice. I point down to my shoe even though I shouldn't have to explain myself to Cato of all people.

"My heel broke." He laughs and is about to say something more when the doors open and both pairs of our parents walk in. Cato's parents hug him, punch him on the arm and say way to go. Mine just look at me as if disgusted. "I got what you wanted. I'm going to the hunger games." I tell them, "So I can run off just like Cram did and never come back." I say so viciously that they actually step back. I am glad. "So when I do get back, which I will, I hope I never see your faces again."

"I hope you learn to keep hold of your tongue in the arena." My father snaps, his face turning an odd shade of purple that reached all the way to where his black hair starts. They're pulled out before they can say anything else and then we're off to the capitol. The trip only takes about two hours and me make myself at home in the dining car, grabbing an apple and sitting in one of the clothed chairs. Amm won't shut up about how excited we must be, all I can think about is what I'm going to do with Marvel. Amm excuses herself, leaving Cato and I to sit alone, across from each other. I cut another piece of my apple, it's not as clean of a cut as I want it to be but my right hand is still bandaged. Cato leans forwards and rests his arms on his knees.

"So," he says, there's something about his voice that reminds me of my brother, Cram. I look at him, closely forcing my knife into the apple. "I don't think you meant to get picked or to volunteer in this hunger games." I don't look at him, just focus on the apple. He leans back. "Anyways that's none of my concern." I can tell he's being sarcastic as he stands and brushes across me to pour some sort of blue beverage. "But what is my concern is your safety." I almost choke on my own spit from laughing so hard. He sits down, spinning the drink in his hand. His face, serious. I stop laughing.

"Why would you protect me?"

He shrugs, "I promised your parents." He's a liar.

"My parents wouldn't give a flip if I came back alive or not." I can hear someone waking down the hallway even before the door behind me opens. He leans forwards and hisses,

"I still promised, a long time ago. So just believe me Clove, I'm going to keep you safe." I snap my head back at him,

"Until when? Until we're the final two and just battle it out. Then what?" He shrugs again, he tends to do that.

"We figure it out if we're both still alive." Someone starts clapping behind me and two figures sit down in the two empty seats. One is a large man, thick and strong. He has short cropped hair and black eyes. The lady beside him smiles revealing white, pointed teeth and suddenly I know who they are. They're the last winners from district two, our mentors. The woman's black hair swirls around the middle of her stomach; it looked dangerous just like the rest of her, her bright green eyes flashing.

"Nice way to the think of the positive." Brutus says, his voice rumbles throughout the carriage. "Now let's think of a new positive way." The woman, Enobaria smiles again, revealing more of her teeth and it gives me chills.

Cato catches me around my shoulder; his arm slung over it as he leans down and whispers in my ear.

"Look Clove, I know you hate me and I pretty much hate you but we need sponsors even you can't ignore that." I stop before we reach the door that would lead us into where the rest of the tributes were, not wanting them to see him and me.

"So what do you suggest we do?" I snap, unwrapping his arm.

"I suggest we act like friends, like I'm your big brother and I'm going to protect you." I shove him aside going for the door; I throw my head back and hiss,

"You are not my brother." And walk in. He can't say anything more to me without drawing attention to himself but he stands unnervingly close to me and I have to admit he has a point. I'm dying to find a second alone with Marvel who is no where to be seen. We are taken to get prepared for the chariot rides which allows every person in every District so see us, and I want to look totally evil and ready for the kill. I don't get my wish though as I glance into the mirror. I have on not the most ridiculous costume but pretty close, it's a golden dress type thing with golden feathers around both of our necks. I'm wearing a helmet type thing with two wings on each side; Cato is wearing more of a crown. I nearly laugh at him but he's glaring so angrily at our stylist that I don't.

Still no sight of Marvel but he's in front of us so I watch his head as we climb into our carriage, I find it hilarious that they got Marvel into a pink fury outfit. I watch him slowly put his arms up and wave as he watches Glimmer who's an expert on it. I glance over at Cato as we jerk out into the crowds; he holds his arms out like a statue of a god so I do the same. Almost three fourths of the way down the crowd goes insane, screaming their heads off and I know it has nothing to do with me. I'm not allowed to look back so when we pull to a stop below President Snow I sneak a glance. The girl that had volunteered for her sister and a chunky looking baker are behind us wearing black outfits with fake fire behind them. I can tell its fake because it isn't burning them, it suddenly disappears and they drop hands. President Snow spends about five seconds talking before we're off again, pulling into another large door and away from the screaming people, screaming about the girl on fire. When we get off our chariot I can tell Cato is mad, we both watch both the tributes from twelve but their drunken mentor catches our drift and the group of people around them disappears.

'I'm going to kill her." I mutter under my breath. She showed us up, she showed everybody up and when we get in the arena she's going to pay for it. I clinch my fists as our stylist, Brutus and Enobaria and Amm lead us away and into our large apartment. I change into a pair of tight green pants and a red silky top for dinner. I want to find Marvel more than anything. Our dinner is filled with silence like it is at my house, I'm about to say something, anything when Enobaria speaks through her spiked teeth.

"So the most important thing is sponsors. Any ideas on how to get some." Cato lifts up a finger after he shovels in more fish with its blue eyes still intact,

"I could wear fewer clothes." Enobaria's eyes narrow as Brutus lets out a loud rumbling noise which could be interpreted as a laugh.

"We could act like we cared." I say, pushing around the odd food with my fork. They look at me with such surprise like they thought I had my tongue cut out or something. I glance at one of our avoxes and push the thought aside. "I mean about each other. Like Cato was protecting me, not like a lover but like a brother." Enobaria nods,

"That's good Clove. Now I know you have your weapons. Yours is a sword, Cato and yours Clove, is a knife."

"How can you tell?" I ask boringly. She tilts her head towards my hands where I was clutching my knife tightly. I swallow and release it, picking my napkin off my lap and putting it on the table over my ignored food. "I'll be back."

"Clove!" Amm yells behind me but I ignore her and climb into the elevator. I can deal with them later. I slam my fist into the one button and storm out as soon as the doors open. I climb the few stairs that lead up to the dinner table where Marvel was facing away from me.

"I need to talk to you." I say, grabbing Marvel's arm and pulling him up.

"Clo-Clove?" he stutters and lets me drag him away.

"We need to talk." I tell him still dragging him to god knows where.

"Um, yea. I think we do."


End file.
